Let's Get Physical!

Let's get physical...and no, I don't mean '50 Shades of Grey' physical...I mean let's get up off the couch and get moving!

This time of year has to be the most difficult time to get motivated to exercise. The snow is flying outside, it's freezing cold and it's so easy to just cocoon indoors, curled up under blankets on the couch.

I'm the first to admit, I'm not nearly as active as I should be...or once was. I look back and I literally grew up in arenas and on the ice as I figure skated from the age of 3 all through university. I skated at least 3 days a week, some days 6 hours a day. I also coached, starting with volunteer coaching when I was 11 or 12 and moved into professional coaching around the age of 16, which carried me all through university. I've coached 2-3 year old to people in their 70's. That's what I love about skating...it's an activity that can span the ages.

I got back on the ice for the first time in a few years over the holidays....it felt so AMAZING to lace up my skates and hear the 'crunch' of the blade against the ice as it carves out the edges. My centre of gravity sure has changed over the years, but it doesn't take long to get back into the swing of things. I used to LOVE spinning...sit spin, cork screw spin, camel spin, layback etc...and after trying a few, I wonder how the heck I ever did them as I was sooooooo dizzy afterwards!

Skating is such great exercise! It's a full body activity that allows you to work on your aerobic capacity, flexibility and muscular strength. It's so dynamic and creative and I because of this, I think that's why I've never really taken to running on a treadmill or really any type of machine based cardio. If I'm going to get active, I tend to like to be doing something more dynamic, like going for a hike versus running indoors. Skiing, skating, hiking, roller blading, snow shoeing....now that's my kind of exercise! The great thing about these exercises is that they're not only dynamic, but they can also be done outdoors (and I just love being outdoors).

I believe that's the key about physical activity. You have to find what type of activity or exercise you enjoy and in doing so, you will be so much more successful in achieving your health and fitness goals. Also, if you can get active with a friend, even better! You can hold each other accountable and offer support and motivation on those days that the couch is looking better then lacing up your running shoes.

I'll be posting more about exercise and physical activity on the blog as I continue to grow and expand RR to incorporate a Body Life and Style into my brand and scope of services offered......

I also challenge you to get active this month! Take pictures of you and your friends/family getting active  by hiking, walking the dog, skating, hitting the gym etc etc and post them to Instagram and Twitter with the hashtag #RRBodyLifeStyle. Keep posting them until March 15th and the winner will win a personalized home exercise program, designed by me, based on your top 3 health and fitness goals ( a value of $75.00).

If you have health and  fitness questions or would like to get started in living a more active lifestyle, as a Registered Kinesiologist (and former Personal Trainer), I'd be happy to help! Just send me an email to rusticretrievals@gmail.com and we can get started!

Make a pledge to yourself to get off the couch and get active this weekend...and seeing as it's Family Day Weekend here in Ontario, why not get your entire family involved! And remember...share those pictures for your chance to win!

#RRBodyLifeStyle

RR

Beauty Begins.....

"BEAUTY BEGINS THE MOMENT YOU DECIDE TO BE YOURSELF" - Coco Chanel

Ask yourself....what makes you feel beautiful? 

For me, beauty really comes down to, what makes you, YOU?

Sure, it can be the great leather jacket that you've had for years and always gravitate to. The leather has become well worn, it is soft and buttery and you just feel like a million bucks every time it sits across your shoulders. It's that 'feeling' that's difficult to describe, yet it's what we yearn for.

But it doesn't even have to be 'things' or 'objects' or 'clothing' or 'makeup'..... 

It can also be moments.....Like a walk through the forest in October, leaves falling around you, the sun shining on your face.....those moments when you feel at peace and complete.....when you are the most "YOU" you can be! You again get that 'feeling' but for an entirely different reason.

Beauty resonates from inside you....it is a glow that shines through your eyes, your smile, your words.....and that glow is only possible when you truly are being YOURSELF.....

Someone said to me the other day, I feel like I've lost me....who I am....I am so many things to other people, I've forgotten who the real me is.

I think we all feel that way at times....life pulls us in so many different directions and sometimes we don't even know where to start to get ourselves back.

When I start to feel this way, I get back to basics.....I have a night out/in with friends, I stop into one of my favourite shops and maybe treat myself to something new, I go out to the garden and 'putter' to clear my head, I head to the Market and get a bouquet of fresh flowers and a cupcake, I read a great book or I go to the gym..... These are just some strategies that help me get myself back on track. It doesn't have to be anything complex or expensive...you just need to become familiar with what works for you to help get yourself back on track. 

Sometimes though, even figuring out what to do to get ourselves back can be a challenge. There are schedules to be kept, 40 hour weeks morph into 60 hour weeks, etc etc.... It's difficult to even catch your breath, let alone take a few minutes for yourself. But....in moments like that, it is absolutely imperative you take a minute or two to collect yourself, re-focus and put yourself first (see my post 'Oxygen Mask' about putting yourself first).

This is where 'My List' comes in veryyyyy handy! My list is just that....a little 'cheat sheet' I keep with me of all the little things I can do for myself at almost any time or place, to keep me on track, to keep that beauty resonating from within. 

Why not take 10 minutes right now and make yourself that list.....you can put it into your phone, in your day planner, on a piece of paper in your purse....Wherever you can easily access it when you feel like things are going off the rails a bit.

I shared some of my strategies above (put your strategies to paper too....on your fridge, on a chalkboard, in a journal etc), but this list I am referring to are 'lil quickies' of restoration that you can do in only a few minutes.

Things like:

- step away from the computer and take 10 deep breaths

- get outside and go for a walk for 5 minutes

- read your favourite blog (I use Bloglovin to organize my favourites)

- text a friend a thoughtful sentiment (I find that spreading joy also helps make me feel joy)

Whatever your list includes has to work for you and only you! The key to this list is to keep you on track through little things/lil quickies you enjoy until you have a moment to truly take a solid piece of time for you.

Remember...beauty is not just what we show on the outside....honestly, that's a very small portion of what makes us beautiful.

You have to always remember who you are as a person, be comfortable in your own skin, with your own thoughts and choices. Most importantly, never, ever forget who your are, what you stand for, what you believe in and what makes you happy. If you can do this, your beauty will shine through like no other....

RR